E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards vs Gather: Refer a Friendfor Shopify (2026)
E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards and Gather: Refer a Friend both aim to enhance customer loyalty, but they approach it from different angles. E! focuses on building a comprehensive loyalty program encompassing points, referrals, VIP tiers, and gamified rewards. It seeks to create a broad loyalty ecosystem to turn first-time shoppers into loyal customers. Gather, on the other hand, concentrates solely on leveraging existing customers for acquisition through a refined referral program, focusing on automating and personalizing the referral process to drive sales, newsletter signups, or lead generation. E! offers a wide array of loyalty program components that are easily customizable, including points-based rewards, VIP tiers, and a referral system. Its extensive feature set likely caters to merchants who want a complete and versatile solution to manage and enhance customer loyalty. Gather focuses more acutely on acquiring new customers through referrals by simplifying deployment and offering customizable reward tiers. Gather presents itself as a straightforward solution for merchants prioritizing acquisition through referrals with emphasis on automation and personalized experience.
At a Glance
E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards
275 reviews
Gather: Refer a Friend
14 reviews
Detailed Overview
E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards
Create a fun, customizable loyalty and rewards program with points, referrals program, VIP tiers
Key Features
- Loyalty program with points, rewards program, referrals, and VIP tiers.
- Loyalty and Rewards program: offer points, discounts, or exclusive perks.
- Referral Program: Refer a friend with referral link. Refer and earn discounts!
- VIP rewards program: offer exclusive perks with VIP tiers & loyalty rewards!
- Friendly 24/7 support, multi language translation & smart tracking / analytics
Gather: Refer a Friend
Gather activates your customer to customer referral channel, with automation and personalisation.
Key Features
- Sales growth, newsletter growth or lead-gen with referrals.
- Invitations, including: email with contact search, social media and messaging.
- Deploy reward tiers / milestones. Provide One-sided or two-sided rewards.
- Enrol members in a post-purchase CTA sidebar and directly from Klaviyo.
- Design emails with a drag-and-drop editor. Design the embedded dashboard.
Feature Comparison
| Rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Rating E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards5/5 Gather: Refer a Friend5/5 | ||
| Reviews | 275 | 14 |
Reviews E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards275 Gather: Refer a Friend14 | ||
| Focus | Comprehensive Loyalty Program | Referral-Based Acquisition |
Focus E! ‑ Loyalty Program & RewardsComprehensive Loyalty Program Gather: Refer a FriendReferral-Based Acquisition | ||
| Key Features | Points, VIP tiers, Referral program, Gamification | Automated Referrals, Tiered Rewards, Lead Generation Referrals, Klaviyo Integration |
Key Features E! ‑ Loyalty Program & RewardsPoints, VIP tiers, Referral program, Gamification Gather: Refer a FriendAutomated Referrals, Tiered Rewards, Lead Generation Referrals, Klaviyo Integration | ||
| Target Merchant | Merchants seeking a full-featured loyalty solution | Merchants prioritizing customer acquisition through referrals |
Target Merchant E! ‑ Loyalty Program & RewardsMerchants seeking a full-featured loyalty solution Gather: Refer a FriendMerchants prioritizing customer acquisition through referrals | ||
| Customization | Highly Customizable Points, Rewards, and Tiers | Customizable Reward Tiers and Design Elements |
Customization E! ‑ Loyalty Program & RewardsHighly Customizable Points, Rewards, and Tiers Gather: Refer a FriendCustomizable Reward Tiers and Design Elements | ||
| Support | 24/7 Friendly support, Multilingual support | Not specified |
Support E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards24/7 Friendly support, Multilingual support Gather: Refer a FriendNot specified | ||
| Value Proposition | Turn shoppers into lifelong fans through a rewards ecosystem | Acquire new customers through existing customer base. |
Value Proposition E! ‑ Loyalty Program & RewardsTurn shoppers into lifelong fans through a rewards ecosystem Gather: Refer a FriendAcquire new customers through existing customer base. | ||
Our Verdict
For merchants seeking a comprehensive, all-in-one loyalty solution encompassing points, VIP tiers, and referral programs, E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards is likely the better choice. Its wide range of features and positive reviews indicate it's a robust and versatile option. However, for merchants specifically prioritizing customer acquisition through referrals and looking for a streamlined, automated solution focused on this single aspect, Gather: Refer a Friend may be more suitable. It is a targeted solution for referral marketing that could prove effective for the right merchant.
While Gather's lower review count might give some pause, its focus on referral-specific features could be advantageous for some businesses. In short, businesses needing a holistic customer retention strategy are better suited to E!, while those looking to boost customer referrals will find Gather more appealing.
Common Questions
Does E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards offer only referral programs, or does it include other loyalty features?
E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards offers a comprehensive loyalty program that includes points, a referral program, VIP tiers, and other reward mechanisms, making it a more holistic loyalty solution compared to Gather's referral-focused approach.
Which app is easier to set up and use?
While both apps aim to be user-friendly, Gather: Refer a Friend may offer a simpler setup due to its singular focus on referrals. E! ‑ Loyalty Program & Rewards, with its broader feature set, might require more configuration initially.
Can both apps integrate with other marketing platforms?
Gather specifically mentions integration with Klaviyo, whereas E! states that it has smart tracking/analytics capability. Further research is needed to confirm the integration capabilities of E! and other marketing tools.
What type of support do these apps offer?
E! claims to offer 24/7 friendly support. Gather's description does not explicitly state the level of support available.
Which app offers better value for money?
The value for money depends on your specific needs. If you need a full loyalty program, E! will have more value. If you need a dedicated referral-based acquisition channel, Gather will have more value. Comparing pricing plans and trial periods will clarify which offers more value based on budget and needs.
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